I want to turn your attention to the popular US sitcom
Modern Family and the representations it portrays. Firstly, the fact that it
shows a homosexual partnership is great. It attempts to break the common
stereotype of what a family is and can be in the modern era. However, it is
important to note that the bulk of the core cast is white. Is this telling us
that a modern family is predominantly white? Or that you can be gay as long as
it is within your class/ethnic circle. The show also portrays the cast of modern
family as middleclass thereby telling us that the modern family in American is
in fact middle class. This ignores the small percentage now that this in fact
represents as unemployment is on the rise and poverty increasing. Let’s go back
to the point about stereotypes which Modern family on the one hand tries to
break but then on the other it delivers underhand racism thus contradicting
itself. The two gay characters Mitchel and Cameron stand up for themselves as a
gay couple by pushing back against anyone that cannot accept it or judges it.
It also portrays foreigners as being accepted but only when
the white characters act as saviours and rescuers them from their home land.
Lily, being saved from a crowded orphanage and growing up in poverty. Gloria and
Manny form a violent village in Columbia.
In the trailer for season one it refers to the Dumphy’s as a
traditional family. Note that they are white and middle-class. I acknowledge
that it use to be traditional to stay and marry within your ethnic groups but
it puzzles me to see yet another all white family being portrayed on our
screens.
Throughout the seasons of Modern Family, Gloria is portrayed
as a beautiful, dumb but yet secretly violent foreigner with references towards
violence. She use to live in a one bedroom flat when she first moved to
American, a place that she visits on one episode. The car that she and Cameron
are in gets put on blocks and the tires stolen. Feeding the stereotype of what
will happen if you go to those areas.
The characters Mitchel and Cameron, although attempt to show
that gay couples can be great parents, they make remarks that feed the
stereotype towards Asians. In an episode when Lily hurts herself by crashing
her toy car, Cameron makes the comment that there was always a strong
possibility that she couldn’t drive. This can be seen as both a dig at Asian
and women driving.
Yes!! I agree with you! Modern Family is a great show but it clearly shows these different stereotypes in small ways but shows them with comedy. But they do show black gay characters but they're really minor characters. But the representation of a modern family is starting to be seen as diverse and becoming different for the typical family.
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